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(No Model.)

. G. 'W. MILLER.

MANUFACTURE OF HORSESHOE NAIL BLANKS. No. 251,454. Patented Dec. 27,1881.

l Unrrnn TATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE W. MILLER, OF W'OONSOOKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VOONSOOKET HORSE NAIL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MANUFACTURE OF HORSESHOE-NAIL BLANKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,454, dated December 27, 1881.

Application filed April 16, 1881. (No model.)

1' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. MILLER, of Woonsockct,Provideucecounty,RhodeIsland have invented Improvements in Cutting Nail- 5 Blanks, of which thefollowingis the specification.

My invention is an improvemeutin the manufacture of horseshoe'nails, whereby loss of material from waste is avoided to a great extent,

the cutting expedited, the size of the blank bar orskelp reduced, and the use of auxiliary mechanism for bending the blanks dispensed with.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the cutters and die; Fig. 2. a plan view of the die; Fig. 3, a section of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a plan showing the operation Fig. 5, a section of the skelp; Figs. 6 and 7, views showing the blank at difi'erent stages of manu- 2o facture.

The first object of my invention is to cut nail-blanks of any desired length without the use of the wide blanks or skelps heretofore required, which are expensive to roll, and are more liable to'imperfectious than those less in width.

Instead ofcuttingthe blanks crosswise of the skelp, is-heretofore, I employ a skelp which is thickest at the center, or at one edge, and then 0 shear or cut the blanks diagonally therefrom, the heads of each blank being cut from the thickest portion of the skelp and the end from the outer thinner side, the diagonal position of the cut producing a blank with a leveled end,

I 5 which may be readily formed into the desired point, while the amount of waste resulting in forming the point is less than if the blank terminated in parallel edges, as usual.

While a skelp thickest at one edgemay be 40 used, I prefer to employ a skelp, A, Figs. 4 and 5, having a central rib, a, from which the blanks may be sheared diagonally in opposite directions at opposite sides, thus permitting two blanks to be cut at one movement of the cutters. For this purpose I use a die, B, having two openings, b 1), arranged at the desired angle relatively to the bar, and cutters d d, corresponding in shape, and arranged on the cutter-head D to coincide with the openings in the die. The skelp A is passed at such an angle across the die that the cutters will simultaneously shear from each side a diagonal strip, constituting the blank, the head of the blank being cut from the thick central portion, a, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the skelp after each cut, as well as to brace the cutters, the die is provided with projections c c, which constitute both gages and guides, their inner faces being eontiuuations of the sides of the openings b I).

,Whilethe blanks inightbe cut from the skelp in the form shown in Fig. 7, this would be attended with considerable waste of material. I therefore construct the dies so that the headac of the blank will be almost wholly at one side, the other side being the straight line resulting from cutting the previously sheared blank. There will be thus but little waste in cutting. To avoid the expense of suhjectin g the blanks thus cut to the form shown in Fig. 6 to another operation in a separate machine to bend the heads into position, I form each opening I) I) in the die so that it merges gradually from the shape shown in Fig. 7 (and in dotted lines, Fig. 2) at the bottom. By this means the blanks which enter the topof the opening in the form shown, with the head at one side, emerge from the bottom, being bent in passing downward, with the head central with the shank, as shown in Fig. 7.

It will be seen that by the mode'of cutting above described the amount of waste is reduced -to a minimum. Two nail-blanks may be cut at a single movement of the dies. The skelp may be much narrowerthan those out in the ordinary manner, while the necessity of employing auxiliary devices to bend the blanks is avoided.

I have shown the die B as made from one piece of metal; but it may be readily made of several parts, thus permitting a part to be replaccd when worn.

I claim- 1. As an improvement in the manufacture 5 of nail-blanks, forming a plate with a central longitudinal thick rib, and then shearing the blanks diagonally to said rib, on each side thereof, with the heads of each blank from the rib and the shank from the thinnest portion of the plate, as set forth.

2. The Within described mode of cutting blanks by shearing the same from the skelp with the head at one side, and then setting the heads central with the shank by continuing the same movement, forcing the blanks through a die, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a machine for cutting nail-blanks, of a die havingopenings construct ed to bend the blanks as they pass through the same after being cut, substantially as specified.

4. The die provided with openings 1) b, arranged at an angle to each other, in combination with coinciding reciprocating cutters d d, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEO. MILLER.

Witnesses OHAs. FRANCIS, CHAS E. BALLoU. 

